Published 5:30 am, Saturday, September 18, 2010

Michael Hayes started toward the line of scrimmage, saw the Cougars' offensive line cave in the left side of the UTEP Miners' defense and sped in that direction. Keenum raised his arms to signal a touchdown before Hayes was halfway into a 9-yard touchdown run - a resounding vote of confidence in the players in front of him.

"You feel good as an offensive lineman seeing stuff like that," UH guard Chris Thompson said. "Him having the trust in us that we have in him … I noticed that."

The 23rd-ranked Cougars (2-0) should be able to walk on to the Rose Bowl field for their 9:30 game tonight against the UCLA Bruins (0-2) brimming with trust. Quarterback Case Keenum has recovered from experiencing mild concussion symptoms in a 54-24 victory over UTEP eight days ago to the point he is on track to return to the lineup.

Plenty of options

UH coach Kevin Sumlin said the final determination of Keenum's status will be at game time. Keenum would put an offense that is leading the nation in scoring (61.0 points per game) at full strength, which UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel concedes could be an awfully harsh reality to swallow.

Photo: Nick De La Torre, Chronicle

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UH quarterback Case Keenum might return to the field when the Cougars take on UCLA tonight.

UH quarterback Case Keenum might return to the field when the Cougars take on UCLA tonight.

Photo: Nick De La Torre, Chronicle

Cougars take well-balanced offense into game at UCLA

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"They've got a very dynamic offense," Neuheisel said, "one that can pick their poison as to whether they want to run or pass."

Neuheisel hasn't wavered all week from the conviction that Keenum, who is fifth on the NCAA career passing list, will be the primary brand of poison UH tries to force down the Bruins' throats. Keenum had a streak of 31 games with at least one touchdown pass end when he left in the third quarter against UTEP.

"You've just got to be ready for their offense," Neuheisel said. "You know it's going to be explosive."

Ready for exactly what, though? The Cougars might have led the nation in passing offense in 2009, but this season they have two running backs - Hayes and Bryce Beall - who are tied for fifth in nation in scoring with five touchdowns apiece. Beall rushed for 195 yards, Hayes 77, against UTEP. They scored three touchdowns apiece on a night UH rushed for 308 yards - 87 more than in any previous game in the Sumlin era.

"I think we were finally able to be a little bit more physical," said Sumlin, who had challenged his linemen on both sides of the ball on that front all week. "We're not going to line up in the wishbone, but I think we're pleased with the direction we're headed."

The Cougars took deep shots down the field. They ran the ball out of one-back sets. They ran the ball out of two-back sets. They even ran plays with the quarterback under center - a departure from the usual shotgun formation the Cougars employ. On one of those plays under center, Keenum faked a handoff and hit Patrick Edwards deep for 61 yards. Other times, Keenum stayed under center to check into running plays.

Ahead of the curve

"Any defensive coordinator who is game-planning against the University of Houston is going to have trouble," said UH senior receiver James Cleveland, who has 114 catches and 16 touchdowns since the start of the 2009 season. "There are just so many different ways we can beat you, as we proved last week. The dynamics of this offense can be one dimension of running, it can be throwing, it can be intermediate passes, it can be long balls. It's just a lot to prepare for."

The first two touchdowns against UTEP came out of a two-back shotgun set. The third touchdown came out of a one-back power set. The touchdown after that came out of a one-back shotgun set. And the one after that out of a one-back power set. The last two touchdowns came out of the traditional shotgun.

"We're just trying to stay ahead of the curve and become multiple on offense," Sumlin said. "Our job is to move the football and score. With more mature players, you can expand the offense. "

Sumlin scoffed, though, at the notion it does the Cougars any good to show different dimensions to its opponents.

"It's not good to show anybody anything," Sumlin said. "It's good to win the game. What we're trying to do is win games. "